The battle for victory in the impending Iowa caucuses was a running theme during Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate hosted by CNN at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Front-runner Donald Trump was once again absent, leaving only two candidates remaining: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
DeSantis and Haley launched a ferocious attack over each other's records and rankings. The showdown was hosted by CNN's “State of the Union” co-anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
our PolityFact Partners Fact-checked the discussion in real time.can read Click here for complete content.
Both candidates touched on a variety of topics related to health care. As in previous debates, they each questioned the other's legitimate opposition to abortion and reaffirmed their own. They discussed COVID-19 policy and whether to exclude China from the U.S. supply chain for pharmaceuticals and other health-related products.
Asked if they would preserve the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion as president, both men said after being asked for clarification that they would like to convert the program into a block grant.it is generally understood become an approach Federal funding is limited but states have more flexibility.
40 states and the District of ColumbiaSouth Carolina and Florida, but not states, expanded Medicaid under the ACA, which is credited with providing insurance to millions more Americans.
Medicaid block grants are not a new idea. This approach is long supported by Republicans And it was promoted by the Trump administration. The Democratic Party is strongly opposed.
On health policy, Haley reiterated her commitment to adding transparency to the U.S. system, emphasizing competition and putting patients in the “driver's seat.” She also promised tort reform.
DeSantis advocated for “accessible, affordable and accountable health care, with a particular focus on mental health.” He also mentioned his experience in Florida. “we were accountable Give pharmacy profits to the middlemen who are responsible for soaring drug prices,” he said, claiming another victory in the fight against high drug prices.
of FDA approved last week Florida plans to import certain medicines from Canada for some state government agencies. But the plan has faced obstacles, with the Canadian government warning that it would not allow imports from the U.S. if there was a risk of drug shortages for Canadians.
Meanwhile, Trump, the front-runner in the primary, once again declined an invitation to a debate. Instead, he attended a Fox News town hall also in Des Moines.
He claimed responsibility for overturning the Supreme Court's decision Roe vs. Wade: “I did it. And I'm proud to have accomplished it,” he said.
But in response to a voter who asked for a pledge to ban abortion nationwide if he wins the presidential election again, Trump acknowledged that the issue is political. “We still have to win the election,” he told voters, adding that “many” Republicans had been “reduced” as a result of his push for a strict abortion ban. He carefully declined to say what specific bans he would propose once he returns to the White House.
President Trump also revisited some of his favorite controversial coronavirus-related topics. He minimized the role played by Anthony Fauci, who heads the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and served as pandemic medical adviser in the Trump administration. President Trump has said that Fauci, a lightning rod among Republican voters, is “not a big factor” in his own pandemic policy, but that the scientist will play a very important role in President Biden's White House. said.
President Trump has weighed in on the debate over the origins of the virus, outlining his own theory of how the virus spread from China.
“It came out of a lab in Wuhan,” he said. “I think it was done out of incompetence.”
“I think a scientist went out and said hi to his girlfriend and that was it. She died, and then people started dying all over the place. But no one knows, no one knows. No?” (PolityFact I considered the claim etc. From Wednesday night's town hall event. )
Meanwhile, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was not eligible to participate in the CNN forum. In three CNN-approved national or Iowa polls, candidates needed at least 10% support from respondents. To create a stage for discussion, That includes one poll of likely Iowa Republican caucus attendees.Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced The day of the debate when he withdraws from the race.
Below are healthcare fact-checks excerpted from PolitiFact's reporting.
Life expectancy and social security
Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley debated whether the Social Security retirement age should be raised.
Haley said that because life expectancy is longer today, the age at which people begin receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits should be raised, from the current 65. He said people who are retired or nearing retirement should be protected from raising the retirement age, while people in their 20s should be told their retirement age will be changed to reflect their “life expectancy.” Ta.
Mr. DeSantis said he does not intend to raise the retirement age because life expectancy has declined in recent years.
“The problem now, over the last five years, is that life expectancy has been declining.” DeSantis said. “Then I don't understand how you raise the retirement age when life expectancy is collapsing in this country.” A PolitiFact reader asked if life expectancy in the United States is decreasing.It turns out that both candidates can point to data That supports their position.
During the town hall, Trump criticized Haley and DeSantis over their positions on retirement age, saying they support raising the age of Medicare eligibility to 65 or older.
Gender-affirming care
DeSantis: Regarding gender reassignment surgery for minors,[Haley] she said no [it]. That's not what she said this summer. she was asked about it. She said it was captured on video and the law should not have anything to do with it. ”
DeSantis is partially right. “The law shouldn't have anything to do with this,” said Haley, who also strongly opposes gender-affirming care for minors.
In June CBS interview, Haley said, “I think the law shouldn't touch that, and I think parents should deal with it” when deciding what kind of care transgender youth should receive. She continued: “If you want to make more permanent changes once the child turns 18, do that.”
Haley's campaign pointed to her appearance on ABC News in May, during which she she said He argued that minors should not be allowed to undergo “gender change procedures” and opposed using “tax dollars” to fund such procedures.
During Wednesday's CNN debate, Haley reiterated that “no one should change their gender before they turn 18.”
